Cellophane covered steel wire



Jan. 14, "1941. s. D. coHEN CELLOPHAN-E COVERED STEEL WIRE Filed 001:.20, l939 I/-I LLI IJ I- I ]IIIIIILIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLILLLLL"INVENTOR. 6'01 0. Q0/2622 ATTFR EYJ K BY Patented Jan. 14, 1941 PATENTOFFICE CELLOPHANE COVERED STEEL WIRE Sol D. Cohen, New York, N. Y.Application October 20, 1939, Serial No. 300,381

4 Claims.

The invention relates to a steel wire to be used particularlyinconjunction with, the fabrication of ornamental devices, such asgarlands, wreaths,

etc., in which there are utilized foliated strips of regeneratedcellulose to constitute the body of the ornamental structure. Acomparatively re cent improvement in this art has been the impregnationor treatment otherwise of the regenerated cellulose with afire-retarding chemical composition. This improvement has beennecessitated by the-conventional use of such garlands and wreathsasornaments in the decoration of a Christmas tree, with its attendant flrehazards, especially when the decorative devices are placed injuxtaposition to a lighted candle or even an incandescent bulb emittinga degree of heat sufficient, in certain circumstances, to ignite theordinary regenerated cellulose or Cellophane, which will immediatelyburst into flame. The types of chemical compositions now used to renderthe Cellophane utilized for these purposes, flame-resistant, aresuch asare described in patents to Cupery 2,142,115 and 2,142,116 in which.patents there are disclosed certain types of fire-retardingcompositions, particularly aqueous or dispersions of sulfamic acid orthe salts thereof. In accordance'with the disclosures of such patents,non-fibrous cellulosic structures impregnated with sulfamic acid or thesalts burn. They are, therefore, considered as flameresistant. r

The use of this type of flame-resistant chemical impregnated Cellophanein the fabrication of Christmas tree garlands and wreaths has, I havefound, given rise to a serious problem.

Decorative devices like wreaths and garlands, are

ordinarilyfabricated by twisting or winding Cellophanesheets infoliated, condition upon one or 40 more steel wires, which arethemselves twisted to clamp between them, the strips of Cellophane. Suchsteel wires, in addition to being subject to corrosion by atmosphericinfluences, for instance,

the ordinary quantity of moisture present in air,

become corroded by reason of the contact therewith of the chemicalswhich have been used to impregnate the Cellophane, forming the body ofthe garland or wreath. This corrosive action is undoubtedly due to thebreaking down of the chemicals constituting the fire-retardant material,and within a very short time, the steel wire evidences corrosion whichis not only detrimental to the appearance of the ornament, but seriouslyaffects the flexibility and springiness or twisting capacity of thewire. Furthermore, an ordinary thereof, show a decreased tendency toignite and" corrosion of such wire produces iron oxide, a powder, thesurface corrosion of the wireresults in the production of pulverizedmaterial which further detracts from the appearancev of the ornament,especially as the powder becomes deposited upon the Cellophane. anddestroys its shimmery, light-reflecting character and interferes withthe uniformity of its coloring.

Especially in connection with Christmas tree ornaments which are desiredto have a certain degree of flexibility, for instance, garlands whichare to be utilized in the decoration of a Christmas tree by being drapedthrough and upon branches thereof by the consumer, is this problem ofcorrosion a troublesome one. With each flexing of the steel wire,constituting the core of the garland, a certain amount of pulverizedrust is scaled from the wire. Furthermore, the orig inal degree offlexibility, springiness and twisting capacity of the wire mustnecessarilybe retained in order to make possible a draping of thegarland in the decoration of the Christmas tree in any manner that thetree decorator may see flt.

I have discovered that this problem of maintaining the appearance of theornament and retaining the original flexibility, springlness, andtwisting capacity, is due entirely to the corrosive influence upon thewire ofthe ingredients of the compound or chemicals used in impregnatingthe Cellophane to render it fire-retardant or flame-resistant. v

A solution of this problem resides in providing the steel wire with acoating of a moisture-proof material, sufllciently flexible in itself tobe wound or otherwise applied to the steel wire, which is customarily ofsmall gauge, so as to provide a barrier to the contact of theimpregnated chemicals, or any salts or reductive products thereof, withthe surfaceof the steel wire; As the flreretardant chemicals areordinarily impregnated in the form of an aqueous solution or dispersion,a moisture-proof covering layer, such as regenerated cellulose itself,is an ideal barrier. In ac-' cordance with my invention, therefore, Iprovide for the protection of the steel wire from the corrosiveinfluences of the chemical or chemicals used to provide thefire-retardant effect to the Cellophane, a covering layer or pluralityof covering layers constituted of a sheet or sheets of Cellophane woundor twisted, in convoluted fashion upon and throughout the steel wire.This covering layer or layers will then constitute a moisture-proofinsulating material between the 5 steel wire and the chemicallyimpregnated Cellophane;

In this manner, the chemical reaction, 1. e., resulting in corrosion ofthe steel wire, between the impregnating chemicals and the steel wire,will be completely prevented, so that there will be no destruction ofthe original qualities of the steel with respect to its flexibility,springiness, and twisting capacity.

It will be noted that by this extremely simple expedient, i. e. theprovision of a single or multiple layer of a moisture-proof materialupon the steel wire, the destructive effect of the chemicallyimpregnated Cellophane upon the steel wire is totally eliminated, whileat the same time permitting the twisting or other type of working of thesteel wire, either in the production of the ornament or thereafter,which working may occur many months subsequent to the originalfabrication of an ornament such as V a garland.

A specific embodiment of my invention is '11- ing chemicals; Fig. 3 is aplan View of a Christ mas tree wreath in the fabrication of which myinvention has been embodied; and Fig. 4 is a cross-section of a wire andwrapping of regenerated cellulose as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing;

in which similar reference characters identify similar parts in theseveral views, 5 is a steel wire with a strip 6 of regenerated cellulosewrapped around it. In forming the ornament of Fig. 2, the core of theornament'comprising two twisted steel wires 1 and 8, each wrapped instrips of regenerated cellulose 5 (Cellophane), there is clamped betweensaid wires a regenerated cellulose strip in impregnated withfireretarding chemicals, the strip I being foliated, by being gatheredup into folds.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated the ornament as constituting a Christmastree wreath, which comprises a core of two twisted steel wires 1 and 8,a wrapping 9 of regenerated cellulose about each of the wires, thefoliated, fire-retarding, chemically impregnated, regenerated cellulosestrip 1 I being clamped between the wires at spaced intervals.

wires intertwined, clamping between them the sheets of Cellophanepreviously treated with the fire-retarding chemical, and by furthertwisting of the Cellophane sheets, producing the foliated condition bywhich the wreath is formed.

I am aware that it has been heretofore suggested to utilize, as aninsulating layer of materials other than a steel wire, a cel ulosicmaterial, even regenerated cellulose, but in every such instance, theinsulation hasbeen used for arising from, the use of a steel wire inwhich it is necessary to retain a degree of flexibility and twistingcapacity. Furthermore, I know by actual experience that .the particularchemicals capable of being used for impregnating, for pur poses offire-retardation, regenerated cellulose, have a destructive anddeteriorating or corrosive influence upon the steel hereinabove setforth,

whereas they do not have the same destructive effect upon copper. Itwill be recognized by those skilled in the art that a steel wire,constituted primarily of iron, is subject .to corrosion by certainchemicals which may not have the samedestructive effect upon othermetals and certainly the steel wire will be attacked and affected to amuch greater degree and in much lesstime, than would be a wireconstitutedof some other metal or even alloy.

I claim:

1. The combination, with a chemically active corrosive impregnatedregenerated cellulose body, of a steel wire, said steel wire beingcovered throughout its outer surface, by a convoluted strip ofregenerated cellulose acting as a barrier to'the penetration of thecorrosive to the'steel wire.

2. A decorative ornament comprising a steel wire, a wrapping ofregenerated cellulose throughout the length of said wire and in directcontact therewith, a regenerated cellulose strip,

impregnated with fire-retarding chemicals, said impregnated regeneratedcellulose strip being entwined about said steel wire, said wrapping ofregenerated cellulose serving as a barrier to prevent the influence ofthe iireeretarding chemicals penetrating to the steel wire.

3. A decorative ornament comprising a core of twortwisted steel wires, awrapping of regenerated cellulose about each of said wires, aregenerated cellulose strip impregnated with fireretarding chemicalsclamped between said wires and regenerated cellulose wrapping at spacedintervals; and foliated to form the body of the ornament, said wrappingof regenerated cellulose about each of said steel wires serving toprotect the steel wire from the corrosive action of the fire-retardingchemicals with which the foliated In the fabrication of a wreath of thegeneral type described, it is conventional to use two steel regeneratedcellulose strip is impregnated. 4. A decorative ornament comprising asteel wire, a wrapping of regenerated cellulose throughout the length ofsaid wireand in direct

